The holidays in December are the most wonderful time of year for many but for some, it can be a very stressful and difficult time. How to avoid stress at Christmas? Is it even possible?
Christmas parties and other holidays, Santa photos, attending Christmas parades, decorating and those pesky Christmas lights, baking, endless trips to the stores and making sure everyone has a gift under the tree, it can be overwhelming!
Let’s not mention the family… oh the family visits!
So here are 10 Tips for a Stress Free Holiday Season:
10 Tips for a Stress Free Holiday Season
1. Shop online. Avoid the crazy malls during the holiday rush by shopping online from the comfort of your own home. Because buying toys in your jammies while sipping a chamomile tea is just so much better than fighting the lineups. Just be sure that shipping and/or customs and insurance won’t cost more than the gift itself!
2. Shop early. Make your lists and check them twice; have the kids write their Christmas wish lists as early as possible so you can get a head start. Don’t wait until the very last minute to brave the malls.If you must go to the mall, don’t ever go on the weekends. Try to get out first thing in the morning and see what you can accomplish before the madness begins.
3. If you’re hosting Christmas dinner, don’t be a martyr – tell everyone it’s a potluck and to bring a dish. Assign dishes to every family attending. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Make sure to buy a fresh turkey so you don’t have to brine it – stuff with onions, celery and carrots to keep it moist and follow this soft chocolate peppermint cookies
4. Skip the Christmas baking this year if you just don’t have the time or energy. If you can coordinate a cookie swap with some friends, even better. Have each person make enough of one kind of cookie – like these soft chocolate peppermint cookies – to share with the others; that way, you’ll have several varieties of cookies. Another baking idea – buy a gingerbread kit and let the kids go to town.
5. Skip the beautiful wrapping and just head over to your local dollar store and buy a bunch of bags. Save yourself hours of wrapping and paper.
6. If you have a big family, stop the $10 gifts for every aunt and cousin on your never-ending list. Instead, arrange to have a Secret Santa and set a budget on how much to spend; that way, each adult is responsible for buying only one gift. You can allow the children in the extended family to have their own separate Kris Kringle.
7. For your own family, set a budget limit for each child. Some families love to practice this 4-gift rule: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.
8. Learn to say NO. Invited to a dozen Christmas parties? You don’t have to attend every single one – be selective. Choose one or two and gracefully decline the other invitations.
9. Keep your mouth shut at the family dinners. If you have nothing to say, don’t say anything at all. Put a sock in it. If you’re on the receiving end, be the bigger person and walk away. Or be quick on your feet and dish out a snarky comeback quickly to shut them up.
10. If you don’t think you can handle being in town for the holidays this season, book a trip to a sunny destination and skip the whole thing entirely.
Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to you!
